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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · kick · track · bass · club · hand · mate · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. club — for golf
  4. bass — the fish
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — in football
  11. march — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — a song
  14. club — a group
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — help
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — in cards
  19. march — the month
  20. mate — to breed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com